Apparatus for heat-treating surfaces of rails



Oct. 18, 1949. A. R. LYTLE 2,484,897

APPARATUS FOR HEAT-TREATING SURFACES 0F RAILS Filed Oct. 22. 1946 INVENTOR ARTHUR R.LYTLE BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1949 APPARATUS FOR HEAT-TREATING SURFACES OF RAILS Arthur R. Lytle, Niagara. Falls, N. Y., assignor to The Linde Air Products Company, a corporation of Ohio Application October 22, 1946, Serial No. 704,815

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for heat treating surfaces of rails adjacent a rail joint, and more particularly to blowpipe apparatus of this character for heat treating the tread surfaces of rail ends in the field, after the rails have been laid in the track.

Apparatus heretofore provided for this purpose has been expensive, relatively heavy, and has required greater care and skill in handling and servicing than is generally available. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a portable blowpipe apparatus of simple design, lightweight construction, low cost, and with which rail ends in track maybe hardened by a relatively unskilled operator.

Other objects are to reduce the tendency to overheat the edges and corners of the tread surfaces, to maintain a proper rate of movement back and forth across the joint, and to provide a dwell at each end of each stroke.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent as the following description proceeds, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of a modification showing the cam for causing the dwell at the end of each stroke of the blowpipe.

The apparatus comprises a frame F on which is mounted a carriage C for movably supporting a blowpipe B above a joint J between the adjoining ends of two aligned steel rails R. A connecting rod A extends from the blowpipe carriage C to mechanism M driven by a hand crank H for reciprocating the blowpipe B relative to the frame F and longitudinally of the rails R across the joint J. The frame F comprises at one end a base It which in the form shown is of inverted channel shape and provided on one of its flanges with a hand screw i2 by means of which the base i may be clamped to one of the rails R.

The frame F also comprises a pair of side members each having at one end a leg 14 secured to the base Ill, and at the other end a leg l5. Between the legs l5 are journaled flange rollers H3 which engage the head of a rail R at the top and side surfaces adjacent the lateral edges of the head, to support this end of the frame and prevent sidewise movement thereof. The rollers it also serve to permit convenient movement of the machine along the rails from joint to joint.

The side members also comprise bridge portions ll extending between the legs [4 and i5 and preferably spaced apart by cross members it welded therebetween.

The hand crank H is carried by a shaft 25 journaled in an upright 25 mounted on the base it, and has keyed thereto a sprocket pinion 21 which through chain '28 drives a sprocket wheel 30 on a shaft 32 journaled on another upright 29 secured to the base ID. The shaft 32 has keyed thereon an adjustable crank 33 having a slot in which a pin 34 may be longitudinally adjustably secured. One end of the connecting rod A is pivotally connected to the pin and the other end of the connecting rod A is attached to the blowpipe carriage C by a vertical rod 35.

A handle 36 is secured to the frame F near its heavier end and above the legs I4, for lifting the machine or for lifting the heavier end and wheeling the machine on the rollers 16 along the rails from joint to joint.

As shown in Fig. 3, means are provided for causing a dwell at each end of the stroke of the blowpipe. For this purpose a cam 49 is keyed on the shaft 32 and provided with a cam track having concentric portions 4| and 42. A slide bearing 43, preferably secured to one of the legs l5, insures horizontal motion of the connecting rod A.

In operation of the form shown in Fig. 1, the hand crank H is turned to bring the slot in the adjustable crank 33 to a vertical position. Then the frame F is moved along the rails R on the rollers 16, until the blowpipe B is above the joint J. Then the screw i2 is tightened to lock the base It] in position.

After the blowpipe has been centered as above described, and the gas is ignited, the hand wheel H is turned which, through sprocket pinion 2?,

chain 28, and sprocket wheel 3%, turns the shaft 32 and the crank 33, which through the connection 34 causes reciprocation of the connecting rod A, which through the vertical rod 35 causes reciprocation of the carriage C and the blowpipe B suspended therefrom. In the operation of this form, the skill of the operator is relied upon to stop the hand crank at each end of the stroke so as to provide the desired dwell.

In operation of the device as shown in Fig. 3, turning of the hand wheel H causes rotation of the shaft 32 as in the form shown in Fig. 1. However, the shaft 32 drives the cam 40 in the direction of the arrow shown, so that the smaller arcuate cam track 4| causes a dwell at the inner end of the stroke, and the larger arcuate portion 3 42 causes a dwell at the far end of the stroke. With this arrangement the desired dwell is produced automatically and all that is required of the operator is to turn the hand crank H at substantially constant speed.

While two embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, the invention isnot limited to the details disclosed, but instead includes such embodiments of the broad idea as fall within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. In apparatus for heat treating aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint comprising a rail contacting base frame, a blowpipe carriage movably mounted on said base frame, and means for reciprocating said carriage with respect to said frame; the improvement which comprises said frame having at one end flanged means for en gaging the side of one of the rails and at the other end a base for engaging the other rail, means for clamping said frame to one of said rails, and a bridge portion extending from said base over the rail joint to said flanged means, and said blowpipe carriage being movably supported on said bridge portion, and said reciprocating means being mounted on said base and connected to the carriage on said bridge portion.

2. In apparatus for heat treating the treads of aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint comprising a rail contacting base frame, a blowpipe carriage movably mounted on said base frame, and means for reciprocating said carriage with respect to said frame; the improvement which comprises said frame having at one end flanged rollers for engaging the lateral edges of one of the aligned rails and at the other end a base and means for clamping said base to the other of said rails, said frame comprising a bridge portion extending from said base over the rail joint to said rollers, said blowpipe carriage being movably supported on said bridge portion, and said reciprocating means comprising an arm connected to said blowpipe and extending longitudinally of said rails, and mechanism on said base including a handcranked wheel connected to said arm for imparting to said blowpipe a reciprocating motion relative to said frame longitudinally of said rails and across the rail joint.

3. In apparatus for heat treating surfaces of aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint comprising a rail contacting base frame, a blowpipe carriage movably mounted on said base frame, and means for reciprocating said carriage with respect to said frame; the improvement which comprises said frame having at one end flanged rollers for engaging the lateral edges of one of the aligned 4 journaled on said base, and mechanism driven by said shaft and connected to said arm for imparting to said blowpipe a reciprocating motion relative to said frame longitudinally of said rail ends and across the rail joint.

4. In apparatus for heat treating aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint, a base adapted to engage the top of a first rail of the joint, a pair, of side members each having a first leg secured to said base and extending upwardly therefrom, a bridge portion extending from the top of said first leg longitudinally of said rails beyond the joint, and a second leg depending from said bridge portion over the second rail of the joint and having abutment means engaging said second rail, and a clamp on said base engaging said first rail to hold said legs erect to maintain said bridge members extending over said joint.

5. Apparatus for heat treating aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint, comprising a pair of side members adapted to be supported upon the aligned rails and extending longitudinally above the joint, a carriage movable along said side members, and a blowpipe mounted on said carriage and depending between said side members for projecting heating flames downwardly onto the tops of said aligned rail ends.

6. Apparatus for heat treating aligned rail ends adjacent a rail joint, comprising a base adapted to engage the top of a first rail of the joint, a pair of side member-s secured to said base and extending longitudinally therefrom above the rail joint, a blowpipe carriage movable along said side members, connecting means depending from said carriage between said side members, and mechanism on said base for driving said connecting means for reciprocating said carriage across said rail joint with a dwell at each end of each stroke.

7. A manually portable machine for heat treating rail ends adjacent a rail joint, comprising a skeleton frame having a base portion adapted to engage the top of the first rail of a joint, an abutment adapted to engage the aligned rail, and a pair of side members extending from said base portion over the joint to the abutment, a blowpipe carriage movable along said side members, reciprocating mechanism mounted on said base, and a connection extending between said side members from said carriage to said mechanism.

ARTHUR R. LYTLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

